


Lunch with a Louse

by Upstarsfromreality



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: Ickiness, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 18:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18211769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Upstarsfromreality/pseuds/Upstarsfromreality
Summary: In Episode 5.12, Joan asks Marcus to go to lunch with her stepdad. This is how I see that going.





	Lunch with a Louse

Marcus was enjoying the lunch. Joan's stepdad was a good talker and a better listener, and actually managed to get Marcus to reveal a few cop tricks for his novel. Not anything secret of course, but just some things the general public didn't normally think about. When the server came to deliver the check, the atmosphere suddenly got a lot less enjoyable.

The server walked back with Mr. Watson's credit card, and Marcus saw him looking at her ass. “Ok,” thought Marcus, “lots of dudes would be looking.” It was true. Marcus knew that most women had to put up with it, and he himself had sometimes caught somebody looking at the muscles of his chest. 

A woman colleague had once told him, “It's a problem if it's possessive, speculative, or disruptive. If they're looking at what's in front of them, fine. If they look like they own it, or if I think they're imagining what else they might get, I'll have a problem with them. Also if the fact that they see what's in front of them stops them from listening to me.”

“Speculative, possessive, disruptive.” When the waitress brought his card back, Mr. Watson gave her a look that managed to hit all three. With a shock, Marcus realized that she looked a lot like what Joan must have looked like when she was in college.

Mr. Watson saw Marcus seeing his look. “Joanie used to be just like that,” he said to him. Marcus did not hit him, even though he wanted to. He was a cop and remained under control. He stood up, put his jacket on with a jerk, managed (barely) to thank Mr. Watson for lunch, and walked away.

Two days later he stopped by the brownstone before work, when he knew Sherlock would be at a meeting. He gave Joan a chance to say hello, and then asked, “Why did you ask me to go to lunch with your stepfather?” before she had a time to block her response.

Joan inhaled slowly before responding. “You saw what he's like, then?”

Marcus looked her in the eye. “I did. I saw how he looked at the waitress. He had the nerve to say you looked the same. And he had written that scene.”

“He never did anything to me, growing up,” said Watson, “but he always looked at me like he wanted to. I can't remember a day after I turned twelve when I felt comfortable around him.”

“Oh, Joan, I'm so sorry you went through that. But why did you ask me to go?”

“Because I wanted there to be one person who knew. One person who wasn't me who saw the same thing I did. I always wondered if I was a little paranoid, so I wanted an outsider's perspective. I couldn't warn you, because if I did you'd be looking for it and that would make you more likely to see it.”

“Joan,” said Marcus, “I'm glad you did. Sharing that was brave. If you ever need to talk, I'm right here.”

“Thank you, Marcus,” said Joan. “For right now, you knowing is enough. Thank you.”

Marcus said he'd see Joan at the precinct. He looked back at the brownstone as he left, glad that Joan had been able to share her history. Maybe one day, he'd share his own.


End file.
